YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. IT’S BEEN YEARS SINCE INDIAN BOARDING SCHOOLS IN NEW MEXICO CLOSED. BUT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED THROUGH THE TRAGEDY THAT TIME NEVER REALLY ENDS. ALYSSA MUNOZ SPOKE WITH TWO SURVIVORS ABOUT THEIR SPECIAL STORY. ROBERTA AND EVERETT SERAFINI ARE MEMBERS OF THE JICARILLA APACHE NATION. IN 1952, THEY WERE JUST SIX YEARS OLD WHEN THEY WERE FORCED TO GO TO THE HICKORY APACHE BOARDING SCHOOL IN DULCE. LOSING THE FAMILY SECURITY IS ONE OF THE MAJOR EFFECTS OF YOU. FIND YOURSELF BY YOURSELF AMONG STRANGERS, PEOPLE YOU HAVE NEVER MET. THESE SCHOOLS WERE CREATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PUSH INDIGENOUS CHILDREN INTO MAINSTREAM AMERICAN CULTURE THROUGH EDUCATION. SCHOOL. YOU WERE BEING TAUGHT OR BRAINWASHED OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. YOU WERE A WHITE PERSON. AND THEN WHEN YOU WENT HOME, YOU WERE APACHE. THE SERAPHINE SAY THEY STAYED THERE UNTIL EARLY HIGH SCHOOL. GROWING UP IN A PLACE THAT OFTEN MADE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WHO THEY WERE AND WHO THEY WERE BEING TOLD TO BE, YOU WERE KIND OF THRUST INTO AN UNFAMILIAR WORLD, AND YOU WERE DENIED SOME OF YOUR YOUR OWN CULTURE AND YOUR OWN LANGUAGE. IT’S A HISTORICAL TRAUMA IN A LOT OF WAYS. SERAPHINE SAYS THE ABUSE DIDN’T STOP THERE. WE HAD A LOT OF VERBAL ABUSE. WE WERE CALLED, YOU KNOW, DIRTY INDIANS AND DUMB INDIANS AND SOME OF THAT STICKS WITH YOU. BUT A SILVER LINING FOR THE SERAPHINE, LIKE MY WIFE AND I, WE MET 75 YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT FIRST, WENT TO SCHOOL. AND THAT’S ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF IT. AND, AND WE’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR 75 YEARS, AND WE’VE BEEN MARRIED 60 SOME YEARS. AND IN JANUARY, THEY SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN BOARDING SCHOOL HEALING COALITION, NABS. THE ORGANIZATION IS COLLECTING STORIES TO BE A PART OF A PERMANENT COLLECTION ARCHIVED AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN HISTORY MUSEUM. WE’VE HAD SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO US AND SAID, I’VE SHARED MY STORY, BUT NOBODY BELIEVED ME. AND SO BY HAVING OVER 300 INTERVIEWS SO FAR, WE’RE HELPING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN SAY, YES, MY STORY IS THE TRUTH. ACROSS THE U.S., THERE ARE 526 BOARDING SCHOOLS, NEARLY 50 HERE IN NEW MEXICO. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS THEY HOPE THIS PROJECT BRING
Survivors of Indian boarding schools share their stories of resilience
“You were denied some of your own culture and your own language. So, it’s historical trauma in a lot of ways,” said one survivor
Roberta and Everett Serafin, members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, were just six years old in 1952 when they were forced to attend the Jicarilla Apache Boarding School in Dulce, New Mexico, where they faced challenges that have left a lasting impact.”Losing the family security is one of the major effects; you find yourself by yourself among strangers, people you have never met,” Everett said.These schools were created by the federal government to push Indigenous children into mainstream American culture through education.”You were being taught, brainwashed, or whatever you want to call it. You were a white person, and then when you went home, you were Apache,” Roberta said.The Serafins stayed at the boarding school until early high school, growing up in an environment that often made them feel torn between their identity and the identity imposed upon them.”You were kind of thrust into an unfamiliar world, and you were denied some of your own culture and your own language. So, it’s historical trauma in a lot of ways,” Roberta said.The Serafins said the abuse didn’t stop there.”We had a lot of verbal abuse. We were called, you know, dirty Indians and dumb Indians, and some of that sticks with you,” Roberta said.Despite the challenges, they found a silver lining in their shared experience.”My wife and I, we met 75 years ago, when we went first went to school. That’s one of the good things that came out of doing it,” Everett said.He said they have been married for 67 years and also have a daughter, Reba Serafin.In January, the Serafins shared their experiences with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), which is collecting stories for a permanent collection to be archived at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian’s American History Museum.”We’ve had some people who have come to us and said, ‘I’ve shared my story, but nobody believes me.’ So, by having over 300 interviews so far, where we’re helping those individuals who can say, yes, my story is the truth,” said Jason Packineau, NABS senior director for strategic initiatives.Across the U.S., there were 526 boarding schools, nearly 50 of which were in New Mexico. The organization hopes this project will bring healing across their communities.
Roberta and Everett Serafin, members of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, were just six years old in 1952 when they were forced to attend the Jicarilla Apache Boarding School in Dulce, New Mexico, where they faced challenges that have left a lasting impact.
“Losing the family security is one of the major effects; you find yourself by yourself among strangers, people you have never met,” Everett said.
These schools were created by the federal government to push Indigenous children into mainstream American culture through education.
“You were being taught, brainwashed, or whatever you want to call it. You were a white person, and then when you went home, you were Apache,” Roberta said.
The Serafins stayed at the boarding school until early high school, growing up in an environment that often made them feel torn between their identity and the identity imposed upon them.
“You were kind of thrust into an unfamiliar world, and you were denied some of your own culture and your own language. So, it’s historical trauma in a lot of ways,” Roberta said.
The Serafins said the abuse didn’t stop there.
“We had a lot of verbal abuse. We were called, you know, dirty Indians and dumb Indians, and some of that sticks with you,” Roberta said.
Despite the challenges, they found a silver lining in their shared experience.
“My wife and I, we met 75 years ago, when we went first went to school. That’s one of the good things that came out of doing it,” Everett said.
He said they have been married for 67 years and also have a daughter, Reba Serafin.
In January, the Serafins shared their experiences with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), which is collecting stories for a permanent collection to be archived at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian’s American History Museum.
“We’ve had some people who have come to us and said, ‘I’ve shared my story, but nobody believes me.’ So, by having over 300 interviews so far, where we’re helping those individuals who can say, yes, my story is the truth,” said Jason Packineau, NABS senior director for strategic initiatives.
Across the U.S., there were 526 boarding schools, nearly 50 of which were in New Mexico. The organization hopes this project will bring healing across their communities.
